Monday, July 23, 2012

What's weirder: seeing Ichiro in a Yankees uniform or Chad Billingsley with facial hair? Bills showed up to Busch Stadium with a fresh beard and a fresh arm today; we're not sure which was responsible, but he held the Cardinals to seven hits and one earned run, throwing 100 pitches over six innings. Offensively, the unusual suspects contributed: Luis Cruz hit a surprise three-run home run in the second, and Mark Ellis hit a two-run double in the seventh.

Ronald Belisario wobbled in the eighth, allowing a two-run homer to Carlos Beltran, but Kenley Jansen sewed it up for the save. Dodgers have won five straight. Giants are currently winning in San Diego, but at least their 1.5-game lead won't get any bigger.